Process and apparatus for transferring prints from a support on to a substrate

ABSTRACT

Described are a process and an apparatus for transferring prints ( 18, 20 ) from a support ( 16 ) on to a substrate ( 10 ), wherein the support ( 16 ) is transported together with the substrate ( 10 ) through a station in which the substrate ( 10 ) having print portions ( 12 ) in succession in the direction of transportation movement is provided with the prints ( 18, 20 ) in accurate register relationship. This procedure uses on the one hand a substrate ( 10 ) having at least two rows of print portions ( 112 ) side-by-side transversely to the direction of transportation movement and on the other hand a support ( 16 ) which in the direction of transportation movement has between the prints ( 18 ) for print portions ( 12 ) disposed in a row one after the other in the direction of transportation movement at least one respective additional print ( 20 ). According to the invention there are provided means, by means of which only certain prints ( 18, 20 ) can be respectively transferred selectively fron the support ( 16 ) on to the substrate ( 10 ) in the station. After leaving the station the support ( 16 ) is released frmm the substrate ( 10 ) and according to the number of additional prints ( 18 ) provided between two prints ( 18 ) for print portions ( 12 ) occurring in succession in the direction of transportation movement, fed at least one further time to the station, in which case the support ( 16 ) is displaced laterally by the transverse spacing between the adjacent rows of print portions and in the direction of transportation movement approximately by the spacing between directly successive prints ( 18, 20 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a process and apparatus for transferringprints from a support to a substrate, and more particularly to a processand apparatus for transferring prints from a support to a substratehaving rows of print portions each including a defined surface portion.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A process for transferring a stamping foil print from a stamping foil onto a substrate and an apparatus for carrying out that process are knownfrom DE 32 10 551 C2. That process and the apparatus are suitable forvirtually endlessly impressing a substrate in the form of a flexible webof material, with a print, in the direction of forward feed movement ofthe substrate. The substrate may be for example a magnetic strip on aticket or a decorative endless strip which covers a corresponding printportion, that is to say a ticket or the like, in the direction oftransportation movement of the substrate from one edge of thecorresponding print portion as far as the oppositely disposed edgetherof.

If that known process or the apparatus provided for carrying it intoeffect are to be used to impress individual prints on to a substratehaving print portions in succession in accurate register relationship,the distance between adjacent prints in the direction of transportationof the hot stamping foil precisely corresponds to the spacing of theprint portions in the direction of transportation movement of thesubstrate, which is parallel to the direction of transportation movementof the hot stamfping foil. Due to that spacing between the stamping foilprints, there is between them a not inconsiderable unused empty space,that is to say stamping foil waste, and that has an effect on theeconomy of that known process and the apparatus provided for carrying itinto effect when stamping individual images.

OBJECT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a process and anapparatus of the kind set forth in the opening part of thisspecification, in which respect it is economically possible to provide asubstrate having print portions in succession with individualspaced-apart prints in accurate register relationship, with the wastageof support material being relatively slight.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

By virtue of the procedure according to the invention, it is possible,in a rotatable and thus continuous mode, to provide a virtually endlesssubstrate with at least two rows of print portions in accurate registerrelationship with corresponding individual prints, that is to say whichrepresent individual images, wherein the support provided with theprints is well utilised because provided on the support, between theprints for the print portions of one row thereof, are further prints forat least one further row of print portions. In accordance with theinvention therefore the wastage is relatively slight. A furtheradvantage over discontinuously or oscillatingly operating processes forapplying individual image prints to the corresponding print portions ofsubstrates lies in the comparatively high level of productivity. Knownoscillating stamping processes for stamping substrates in the form ofsheets with multiple print portions achieve for example outputs of about4000 through 6000 sheets per hour. In comparison thereto, in a rotarystamping process in accordance with above-mentioned DE 32 10 551 C2, itis possible to achieve feed speeds of the order of magnitude of 130through 200 m/min, which when converted corresponds to about 12,000through 18,000 sheets which can be stamped per hour. The processaccording to the invention makes use of the last-mentioned rotaryprocess by means of a stamping foil or by means of a support which isprovided in register relationship with an activatable adhesive. It istherefore possible for the support and the prints to be formed by astamping foil. It is advantageous in relation to such a process if thesupport and the prints are formed by a hot stamping foil. In that case,the support can be transported a plurality of times through a stationhaving a segmented heated stamping roller forming the means for theselective transfer of certain prints from the support on to thesubstrate, and at least one pressure roller which bears against theperipheral surface of the stamping roller. This process requires asegmented stamping roller in order actually to transfer only therespectively correct prints from the support on to the substrate whilethe prints disposed between same are transferred on to the correspondingsubstrate only after lateral displacement and the renewed feed of thesupport to the station.

Highly exact transfer of prints from a support on to a substrate, thatis to say transfer in accurate register relationship, is afforded if,when carrying out the process according to the invention, use is made ofa hot stamping foil in which the spacing of the stamping foil prints inthe direction of transportation movement is shorter than the spacing ofthe stamping punch segments at the peripheral surface of the stampingroller, and if the hot stamping foil is stretched upstream of thestamping station in such a way that the spacing of the stamping foilprints of the or each row thereof corresponds to the spacing of thestamping punch segments. More specifically, in that way it is possibleto provide for an accurately defined and exact association of thestamping foil prints with the associated print portions of the substrateto be stamped, even when the stamping roller is operating at highangular speeds.

It is helpful for the same purpose if, when using a segmented stampingroller, the rotary angular position of the stamping roller or thestamping punch segments thereof and a predetermined identification ofthe substrate or each print portion of the substrate can be adapted toeach other by means of a regulating device. The last mentionedregulating device is desirably a so-called insetter regulating means.The identification on the substrate or each print portion of thesubstrate may involve suitable print marks which are detected by meansof a print mark reading device and fed to the regulating device asregulating parameters. Possible side tolerances of the support with theprints or the hot stamping foil in relation to the substrate can becompensated by per se known measures such as guide rollers, in whichrespect support by air cushioning means or the like may also bedesirable.

It has been found desirable if, in carrying out the last-mentionedprocess, the forward feed position of the stamping foil or the printsthereon is determined and adapted by means of the above-mentionedregulating device to the rotary angular position of the stamping stationor the stamping punch segments thereof. That can be done by theabove-mentioned print mark reading device which is connected to theregulating device in order for example suitably to influence a controldrive with a superimposition transmission, with which the stampingroller and/or the forward feed rollers for the substrate or the stampingfoil are driven.

If the process according to the invention uses a hot stamping foil, itis desirable for same to be cooled down after leaving the stampingstation for the purposes of detachment from the corresponding stampedsubstrate and then to be fed at least one further time to the stampingstation—displaced by the spacing of adjacent rows of print portions. Thestamping speed can be suitably increased by such a cooling action, whichhas an advantageous effect on the productivity of the process accordingto the invention.

It has been found desirable if after leaving the stamping station thestamping foil, pivoted out of the plane of the foil through 90° ofangle, is diverted around a pair of displacement rollers which areoriented perpendicularly to the stamping roller, in so doing beingdisplaced transversely to the direction of transportation movement bythe spacing of adjacent rows of print portions, and then, displacedtransversely by a corresponding row of print portions, it is fed to thestamping station again so that at least two rows of print portions aresimultaneously stamped with prints in the stamping station. In thatarrangement the displacement rollers are desirably so provided that theyare suitable for producing corresponding displacement movements adaptedto the respective factors of substrates to be stamped and support withprints.

In the process according to the invention however the substrate can alsobe provided in accordance with the prints in register relationship withan activatable adhesive which forms the means for the selective transferof certain prints on to the substrate and which is then activated beforethe substrate is fed to the station. In that respect, the activatableadhesive used can be an energy-activatable primer or a multi-componentadhesive, the complementary component of which is applied to thesubstrate in register relationship in a manner corresponding to theprints. Depending on its composition the above-mentioned primer can beactivated for example by ultra-violet or electron radiation or the like.The multi-camponent adhesive which is possibly used may be atwo-camponent adhesive. If the means used in the process according tothe invention for the selective transfer of certain prints on to thesubstrate is formed by an activatable adhesive of the above-describedkind, that affords the further advantage that no segmented roller isrequired for the transfer of prints from the support on to thesubstrate, but it is possible to use a roller of a comparatively simpledesign configuration, without roller segments, because in this casesuitable activation is effected specifically for example by irradiationor by virtue of the adhesive component of the multi-component adhesive,which component co-operates with the complementary component.

Desirably, for carrying out the process according to the invention, useis made of a support in which the prints are equidistantly spaced onebehind the other in a row because in that case the regulationexpenditure for carrying out the process is relatively slight.

In accordance with the invention, as already mentioned above, it ispossible to use in the station a stamping roller whose stamping punchsegments are at a spacing from each other in the peripheral direction,which is adapted to the spacing, in the direction of transportationmovement, of successively disposed print portions of each row thereof.

The process according to the invention can use a substrate strip whichis wound on a rol I; it is however also possible in accordance with theinvention to use sheet-like substrates which are then successively fedto the stamping station. Consequently in the last mentioned case it ispossible to omit the operation of cutting up the substrate web to formindividual sheets after the stamping procedure, and that can possiblyalso have a positive effect on the level of productivity of the process.

With the apparatus according to the invention it is possible to use asupply device which has a roll for a virtually endless substrate instrip form. It is also possible however for the supply device to have acontainer for a stack of sheet-like substrates and a device forcontinuous feed without gaps of the individual substrate sheets to thestation.

The said station may be a stamping station having a stamping rollerwhich at its peripheral surface is provided with stamping punch segmentswhich simultaneously stamp the print portions disposed in side-by-siderelationship, the segments being spaced from each other in theperipheral direction of the stamping roller, wherein the spacing betweenadjacent stamping punch segments is adapted to the spacing, in thedirection of transportation movement, of successively disposed printportions of each row thereof. Another possibility provides that a devicefor selectively applying an activatable adhesive to the substrate inregister relationship is disposed between the station and the supplydevice. This applicator device may be a printing unit for applying theadhesive to the substrate. Printing units of that kind are known forexample in the form of single-print units based on a flexographicprinting unit. It is however also possible for the printing unit to bein the form of an intaglio, offset or screen printing unit. In theapparatus of the last-mentioned kind, the device for activation of theadhesive which is formed by a primer can have an irradiation device. Bymeans of the irradiation device, depending on the primer used, it ispossible to generate ultraviolet radiation, electron radiation oranother suitable radiation in order appropriately to activate theprimer.

It is advantageous if, in an embodiment of the apparatus according tothe invention with a stamping roller having stamping punch segments, theprints provided on the support in the or each row thereof are at aspacing from each other which is slightly less than the spacing of thestamping punch segments at the peripheral surface of the stampingroller, and if disposed upstream of the stamping station are at leasttwo braked forward feed rollers at which the support which is formed bya stamping foil experiences a change in direction and is stretched inrelation to the stamping station in such a way that the spacing of theprints of the or each row thereof precisely corresponds to the spacingof the stamping punch segments. An apparatus of that kind makes itpossible to provide for transfer of the prints from the carrier on tothe substrate in accurate register relationship with ccparatively highcycle numbers, that is to say, at a relatively high level ofproductivity. It is useful for the same purpose if, in such an apparatusof the last-mentioned kind, there is provided a regulating device foradaptation of the rotary angular position of the stamping roller or itsstamping punch segments to a predetermined identification on thesubstrate or each print portion thereof. The regulating device isdesirably connected on its input side to at least one reading device andon its output side to a control drive for the stamping roller and/or forthe forward feed rollers for the substrate and/or the stamping foil. Theat least one reading device may be a commercially available print markreader and the control drive may be a known drive which is designed witha superimposition transmission arrangement.

It is advantageous if provided between the forward feed rollers and thestamping station is at least one second reading device which isassociated with the stamping foil and which is connected to saidregulating device. The markings of the stamping foil can be detected bymeans of the second reading device and the signals corresponding to thedetected markings can be fed to the regulating device in order toproduce an accurate association between the support with the prints orthe stamping foil and the stamping roller or the stamping punch segmentsthereof.

It has been found desirable if the displacement device has at least onepair of displacement rollers which are displaced relative to each otherin parallel relationship in the direction of transportation movement andtransversely thereto with respect to each other, wherein the transversedisplacement of the displacement rollers of the or each pair thereofcorresponds to the transverse spacing of adjacent rows of print portionsof the substrate. Such a configuration of the displacement means makesit possible for the support with the print portions or the stamping foilto be at least once diverted in a loop-like manner and virtually freefrom distortion and deformation in relation to the means for transfer ofthe corresponding prints fram the support on to the substrate or inrelation to the stamping station, and to be fed to the station at leastone second time in order for at least two rows of print portions of thesubstrate which is transported through the stamping station to besimultaneously provided with prints or stamped upon, in accurateregister relationship.

Good adaptation to the respective parameters of a substrate such as forexample its dimensions is possible if at least one displacement rollerof the or each pair thereof is adjustable in the direction oftransportation movement and/or transversely relative to the direction oftransportation movement. In particular the adjustability of the or eachpair of displacement rollers transversely with respect to the directionof transportation movement of the substrate and consequently of thesupport provided with prints or the stamping foil makes it possible forthe apparatus according to the invention to be accurately adapted to anysubstrates with more than one row of print portions.

In the apparatus according to the invention each stamping punch segmentof the stamping roller can be provided with a heating means. The heatingmeans may involve for example an electrical resistance heating means.Such an apparatus is used in connection with a hot stamping foil.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further details, features and advantages are apparent frem the followingdescription of embodiments of the apparatus according to the inventionfor carrying out the process according to the invention, which areillustrated in the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a view from above of a portion of a substrate to be providedwith prints of a support in accurate register relationship,

FIG. 2 is a view from above of a portion corresponding to FIG. 1 of asubstrate together with a portion of a support having prints, in theform of a hot stamping foil having stamping foil prints,

FIG. 3 is a side view of the apparatus for applying individual prints toa flexible substrate,

FIG. 4 is a view from above of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3,illustrating only the most Important detail features in particular forclearly showing the displacement means,

FIG. 5 is a view in section through an illustrated portion of asegmented stamping roller as is used in the apparatus shown in FIGS. 3and 4, and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of a second embodiment of theapparatus for transferring prints from a support on to a substrate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a portion of a flexible substrate 10 which has two rows ofprint portions 12 in side-by-side relationship. Each print portion 12which can be for example a sheet of business letter paper, a banknote orthe like, is to be provided at an accurately defined surface portion 14with a print which is for example a stmping foil print. In accordancewith the invention that is effected for example by means of a hotstanping foil 16 (see FIG. 2) in an apparatus as is shown in a side viewand in a view frao above in FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 2 shows a portion of the flexible substrate 10 with two rows ofprint portions 12 which are disposed in side-by-side relationship. Thepitch of the print portions 12 in each row is identified by Nt in FIG.2. The surface portion 14 of each print portion 12 of a row, which is tobe stamped, is at a spacing A which precisely corresponds to the printportion pitch Nt, from the surface portion 14 which is adjacent in saidrow of print portions 12.

The support with prints 18, of which a part is shown in FIG. 2 and whichis for exmple a hot stamping foil 16, has prints 18 which in thedirection of transportation movement of the stamping foil 16 are at aspacing frm each other which in the station 34 precisely corresponds tothe spacing A of the surface portions 14 of adjacent print portions 12of the corresponding row thereof and accordingly precisely correspondsin the station 34 to the print portion pitch Nt.

If the flexible substrate 10 has two rows of print portions, the stapingfoil 16 is provided with a respective further stamping foil print 20between said stamping foil prints 18. If the substrate 10 has three or nrows of print portions, the stamping foil 16 is provided between thestamping foil prints 18 with two or (n-1) staping foil prints 20respectively. All stamping foil prints 18, 20 of the stamping foil 16are at the same spacing from each other.

After transfer of the prints 18 on to print portions 12 or their surfaceportions 14 of the first row of print portions, that is to say which isshown on the left-hand side in FIG. 2, the support or the starrping foil16 is laterally displaced by the width of the print portions, downstreanof the stamping station 34, as is indicated by the arrow 22 in FIG. 2.The stamping foil 16 which is displaced in that way is again fed to thestation 34 in its direction of transportation movement as indicated bythe arrow 24, being displaced by the spacing of the directly adjacentstamping foil prints 18, 20, so that now the directly juxtaposed rows ofprint portions are simultaneously provided with the corresponding prints18 and 20. The displacement of the prints 20 relative to the prints 18is indicated by the arrow 26 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 shows an apparatus 28 for applying stamping foil prints 18, 20(see FIG. 2) of a hot stamping foil 16 to a flexible substrate 10. Theflexible substrate 10 is provided on a supply device 30 which is asupply roll. The flexible substrate 10 is in per se known manner drawnoff the supply device 30 which is desirably a braked supply roller overa web regulator 32 and fed to a stamping station 34. The stampingstation 34 has a stamping roller 36 and pressure rollers 38. Thepressure rollers 38 are for example arranged in pairs on pivotal arms40, the mode of operation of which has been described in above-mentionedDE 32 10 551 C2.

The hot stamping foil 16 is provided at a supply roll 42 and is fed tothe stamping station 34 by way of a forward feed roller 44. In thestamping station 34 the stamping foil prints 18 corresponding to theprint portions 12 of a row thereof of the flexible substrate 10 arestamped out on to the corresponding print portions 12 of said row ofprint portions. The stamping foil 16 is then diverted together with theflexible substrate 10 around a cooling roller 46 and fed to a detachmentdevice 48 in which the hot stamping foil 16 is separated fram thecorresponding portion of the substrate 10. Downstrean of the detachmentdevice 48 the hot stamping foil 16 is fed by way of a displacement means50 and a second forward feed roller 52 to the stamping station 34 again,in which case the stamping foil 16 is displaced in the displacementmeans 50 in its transverse direction by a row of print portions and inits forward feed direction by the spacing between directly adjacentstamping foil prints 18 and 20 so that now two adjacent rows of printportions of the flexible substrate 10 can be simultaneously stamped inthe stamping station 14 in accurate register relationship, with thecorresponding stamping foil prints 18, 20. After all stamping foilprints 18, 20 have been stamped out the flexible substrate 10,downstream of the detachment device 48, is fed to a take-up means 54which is for example a winding-on roll. At the same time the usedstamping foil 16 is also wound on to a winding-on roll 56.

The heated stamping roller 36 of the stamping station 34 is providedwith a regulating device 58 which is diagrammatically indicated by ablock in FIG. 3. The regulating device 58 is connected on the input sideto a reading device 60 associated with the substrate 10 and to secondreading devices 62 which are associated with the hot stamping foil 16,as is indicated in FIG. 3 by the arrows 64 and 66. Only one of thosereading devices 62 can be seen in the drawing. A specific reading device62 is provided for each passage of the foil through the apparatus. Onthe output side the regulating device 58 is connected to a control drivefor the stamping roller 36 and/or for the forward feed rollers 44, 52and 84 respectively.

The displacement means 50 which is arranged after the stamping station34 or in juxtaposed relationship with the stamping station 34 has atleast one pair of displacement rollers 68 which are oriented parallel toeach other and perpendicularly to the axis of the stamping roller 36.The displacement rollers 68 are displaced relative to each other in thedirection of transportation movement of the hot stamping foil 16, as canbe seen from FIGS. 3 and 4. It can also be seen from FIG. 4 that thedisplacement rollers 68 of the or each pair of displacement rollers arealso displaced in the transverse direction, that is to say in the axialdirection of the stamping roller 36, said transverse displacement of thedisplacement rollers 68 corresponding to the transverse spacing ofadjacent rows of print portions of the substrate 10. At least onedisplacement roller 68 of the pair of rollers can be adjustable in thedirection of transportation movement, as is indicated by the arrow 70 inFIG. 4. At least one displacement roller 68 is desirably adjustabletransversely to the direction of transportation movement, as isindicated by the arrow 72 in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 also shows the supply roll42 for the hot stamping foil 16 and the winding-on roll 56. LikewiseFIG. 4 shows the supply device 30 and the take-up means 54 for theflexible substrate 10.

The forward feed rollers 44 and 52 for the hot stamping foil 16 which isfed directly to the stamping station 34 and for that which is fed to thestamping station 34 by way of the displacement means 50 are in the formof braked feed rollers and are operatively connected to the regulatingdevice 58, as is indicated by the arrows 74 in FIG. 3. By means of thebraked feed rollers 44 and 52, the hot stamping foil 16 is stretched ina defined manner in relation to the stamping station 34 so that thespacing of the stamping foil prints 18, 20 which is originally smallerthan the print portion pitch Nt (see FIG. 2) is precisely equalised.

As can be seen fran FIG. 5, the stamping roller 36 which is of a lengthcorresponding to the width of the substrate is provided with stampingpunch segments 76 which are equidistantly spaced frart each other in theperipheral direction of the stamping roller 36. The spacing betweenadjacent stamping punch segments 76 precisely corresponds to the printportion pitch Nt of the print portions 12, which are disposed in a rowone behind the other, of the flexible substrate 10 (see FIG. 2). Theindividual stamping punch segments 76 are thermally insulated from eachother. Each stamping punch segment 76 is desirably provided with aheating means 80 which may be for example per se known heating cartridgemembers. The stamping punch segments 76 with their heating means 80 andthe cooling passages 78 are arranged on a central body 82interchangeably and consequently in repair-friendly fashion.

A stamping roller 36 of such a configuration involves a certaintructural expenditure. The stacion 36 is of a simpler designonfiguration if—as can be seen from FIG. 6—a roller 86 which is in theform of a simple roller without segments is used in the station 34. Partof the apparatus 28 is shown in cut-open form in FIG. 6 in order inparticular to clearly illustrate the details with which this apparatus28 differs from the apparatus 28 diagrammatically shown in FIG. 3. Theapparatus 28 shown in FIG. 6 is a so-called sheet-fed machine, thesubstrates which in this case are for example paper which is cut intosheet form being fed by a feeder 88 by means of a sheet acceleratingdevice 90 to a printing cylinder 92 which runs at machine speed. There,by means of a single-print mechanism, for example based on aflexographic print mechanism, an energy-activated primer or thecomplementary component of a multi-component adhesive is applied byprinting to the substrates in sheet form, in correct registerrelationship. The substrates when prepared in that way are thentransferred to a transfer drum 94 on which the primer which for examplecan be activated by radiation is activated by means of a radiationdevice 96. The radiation device 96 is for example an ultra-violetradiation source. Downstream of the transfer drum 94 the sheetsubstrates are introduced into the station 34. Reference numeral 50 inthis Figure also identifies the displacement means, reference being madeto the construction shown in FIG. 3 in regard to the displacement means50 and the other structural members of the apparatus 28.

The invention can be used in the same manner if the prints on thesupport are individual prints or if regions of an individual print orprint portions are to be transferred from a large-area coating on thesupport.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for transferring a print from asupport onto a substate having at least two spaced-apart rows of printportions each including a defined surface portion, which comprises: asupply assembly for said support; a detachment assembly means forselectably transferring, a print from said support to said definedsurface portin of said print portions of a first row of said substrateand for selectively subsequently transferring a print from said supportto said defined surface portion of said print portions of a second rowof said print portions on said substrate; and a displacement assemblymeans for lateral and longitudinal displacement of said support forsubsequent passage through said detachment assembly means, lateraldisplacement of said support being effected by a distance correspondingto a distance between said spaced-apart rows of said print portions saidsubstrate for said subsequent passage of said support through saiddetachment assembly in the transfer of a print to said defined surfaceportion of print portion on said second row of said print portions saidsubstrate, said longitudinal displacement being effected by a distancebetween prints on said support.
 2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1wherein said supply assembly includes a roll for a strip form of saidsupport.
 3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said supplyassembly includes a container for a stack of sheets of said support andfurther includes a transport means for continuously transporting to saiddetachment assembly said sheets of said support without gapstherebetween.
 4. The assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein saiddetachment assembly includes a stamping station having a stamping rollerperipherally-provided with stamping punch segments for simultaneouslystamping prints disposed in side-by-side relations, such stamping punchsegments being spaced-apart in a peripheral direction of said stampingroller, spacing between adjacent stamping punch segments adapted to thespacing in a direction of transport of successively-disposed printportion on a row on said substrate.
 5. The apparatus as defined in claim1 and further including an adhesive dispensing means disposed betweensaid supply assembly and said detachment assembly for selectivelyapplying in registered relationship an activatable adhesive to saidsubstrate.
 6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said adhesivedispensing means includes a printer unit.
 7. The apparatus as defined inclaim 6 wherein said adhesive dispensing means includes an irradiationdevice for activation of said adhesive formed by a primer.
 8. Theapparatus as defined 4 and further including at least two braked forwardfeed rollers for said support and disposed before said stamping stationfor effecting a change in direction of said support as a result ofstamping and for stretching said support in relationship to saidstamping station to provide precise spacing of prints corresponding tospacing between said stamping punch segments.
 9. The apparatus asdefined in claim 8 and further including a regulating assembly foradaptation to a predetermined identification of each print portions onsaid substrate between a rotary angular position of said stamping rolleror said stamping punch segments.
 10. The apparatus as defined in claim 9wherein said regulating assembly is connected on an input side to areading member and on an output side to a control drive for saidstamping roller and/or said forward feed rollers.
 11. The apparatus asdefined in claim 9 or 10 and further including a reading device disposedbetween said forward feed rollers and said stamping station, saidreading device associated with said support and connected to saidregulating assembly.
 12. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 whereinsaid displacement assembly means includes at least one pair ofspaced-apart displacement rollers displaced a distance in, parallelledrelationship in a direction of transport of said support andtransversely a distance corresponding to transverse spacing between saidrows of print portions.
 13. The apparatus as defined in claim 12 whereinone of said displacement rollers is adjustable in said direction oftransport and/or a direction transverse to said direction of transport.14. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said stamping punchsegments of said stamping roller is provided with a heating element.